Welcome Booklet:

Information for Parents/Carers on Pastoral Support at St Brendan’s Sixth Form College

(2015/16)

Dear Parents/Carers

All parents/carers want the best for their sons/daughters, or the young people they care for and I know, therefore, that you will wish to provide every encouragement and support during this academic year to help them to benefit fully from College life. This booklet is designed to assist you in this by summarising the information you may need, and providing a calendar of the relevant events. Every student will have been issued with a Student Diary which contains detailed information about dates, services available and expectations of St Brendan’s students as well as key personnel in the College. You may also find this to be of interest.

We want all students and their parents/carers to be part of the St. Brendan’s community and to feel happy and secure whilst they are with us. If you have any concerns about your young person’s well-being, please do contact us early on, so that we can work together to resolve any problems before they escalate.

Last year the age of participation in education and training was raised so all young people have a legal ‘duty to attend’ college, school etc. until the end of the academic year after they are 18 years.

At St. Brendan’s we expect excellent attendance and punctuality, and attendance lower than 90% without a good reason can result in sanctions such as a requirement to pay a contribution towards examination fees, withdrawal of Bursary funding, and will not allow progression on to a second year.

Sixth Form education makes new demands on students, particularly on the amount of study beyond their lessons that is required, and it would be very helpful if you could reinforce this expectation. Students also need to:

  • Use much of the time when they are not timetabled with classes during the College day to work in the Learning Resource Centre or one of the many IT Suites
  • Spend a substantial amount of time on additional study outside lessons. Students should spend an hour in private study for every hour taught i.e. a minimum of 4½ hours per week per AS/ A2 or BTEC course.
  • Parents/carers should not allow students’ other commitments outside College – especially part-time employment - to take priority over this study, which is vital if they are to fully achieve their potential. Whilst the skills gained through working part–time are useful, research evidence shows that paid employment occupying more than 10 hours per week damages educational achievement. We would urge you to ensure that this does not happen to your son/daughter by limiting part-time work.

You will receive personal invitations to Progress Evenings to meet key teachers and to find out how your young person is achieving and getting on in College, which I would encourage you to attend alongsidethem. These provide crucial opportunities for you to support the College in maximising their potential and raising their aspirations.

If we have your email address on our College system, we will be able to keep you informed about activities in the College and will highlight forthcoming events which we hope you will be able to attend and support. You can also now "like us" on Facebook: or

"follow us" on Twitter: @StBrendansSFC.

I hope that your young person will enjoy the coming year and gain much from it.

Yours faithfully

Michael Jaffrain

Principal

CONTACT LIST FOR ST BRENDAN’S

(Please note that College staff will always be pleased to deal with any enquiries or concerns)
Contact / Email
General Enquiries: / Reception:
0117 9777766
Switchboard is open 8.30am - 4.30pm, Monday - Friday /
Student Absence: / Use the Absence Reporting Line:
0117 971 0849
(notify by 10.30am on each day of absence) /
Student Services’ Enquiries / Head of Support Services: Laura Howe-Haysom /
Subject/Course/
Curriculum Enquiries: / Directors of Faculties:
Kevin Brice
Sophie Preece
Jayne Manley
Vicki Haigh /



Bursary Fund, Attendance & College Transport: / Julie Shephard /
Public Transport: / Jenny Blake /
Careers (IAG)Advice: / Liz McCoy /
Examinations: / Richard Morris /
Sports Activities: / Alistair Baker /
Enrichment /Learner Voice Activities: / Mattia Pace /
Premises Issues: / Paul Connors /
Parent/carer complaints or safeguarding issues / Head of Support Services:
Laura Howe-Haysom
Head of Learning Development & Safeguarding: Bernice Weiss /

Staff or Curriculum complaints / Head of Curriculum & Progression: Neil Hellin
Head of Teaching, Learning & Assessment: Helen Stock /

The Chair of Governors, Olive Barnes, and the Principal, Michael Jaffrain,
can be contacted via the Principal's Personal Assistant:

1

Page
Contact List / 3
College Term Dates and Key Activities / 5 – 7
Background Information / 8
Pastoral Support / 10
Attendance / 12
Studying / 15
Parent Portal, Progress and Assessment / 17
Facilities Available for Private Study / 18
Managing Student Behaviour / 19
General / 20

CONTENTS

COLLEGE TERM DATES AND KEY ACTIVITIES 2015/16

Term 1
Thurs 20 – Wed 26 August / Student Enrolment
Mon 31 August / College Closed / Bank Holiday
Tues 01 September / New Students’ Welcome Day / 2Y1 and 3Y1 students only
Weds 03 September / 3Y2 students return / Normal timetable begins
Weds 09 September / Early Applicants UCAS Internal Deadline
Sat 10 October / Open Day for 2016 Admissions / 10.30 – 14.00
Thurs 15 October / New Parents’ Evening / 18.00 – 20.00
Weds 21 October / College closed to students
Open Evening for 2016 Admissions / 17.00 – 20.00
Thurs 22 October / College closed to students
Open Evening for 2016 Admissions / 17.00 – 20.00
Friday 23 October / College closed to students
Mon 26 – Fri 30 October / HALF TERM HOLIDAY
Mon 02 November / College term resumes
Wed 05 November / 2Y1 / 3Y2 Progress Evening
Final Internal UCAS deadline
GCSE examinations start / 17.00 – 19.30 *
Thurs 12 November / 2Y1 / 3Y2 Progress Evening / 17.00 – 19.30 *
*Parent/carers only attend one of these evenings by appointment
Thurs 19 November / 2Y1 Careers Fair / 10.30 – 12.30
Thurs 26 November / Advice & Information Evening for 2016 Admissions / 17.00 – 19.00
Thurs 17 December / Timetable ends at 14.30
Fri 18 December / College closed to students
Mon 21 December –
Fri 01 January / CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY
Term 2
Mon 04 January / Term 2 (Spring Term) begins
Wed 03 February / College closed to students
Open Evening for 2016 Admissions / Staff Development Day
17.00 – 20.00
Thurs 04 February / 3Y1 Careers Fair / 10.30 – 12.30
Mon 08 – Fri 12 February / HALF TERM HOLIDAY
Mon 15 February / College term resumes
Thurs 18 February / 2Y1 Religion, Philosophy and Ethics Conference
Thurs 25 February / 3Y1 Progress Evening / 17.00 – 19.00 *
Weds 2 March / 3Y1 Progress Evening / 17.00 – 19.00 *
*Parent/carers only attend one of these evenings by appointment
Thurs 17 March / Advice & Information Evening for 2016 Admissions / 17.00 – 19.00
Thurs 24 March / Last Day of Term / Timetable ends 14.30
Fri 25 March – Fri 8 April / EASTER HOLIDAY
Term 3
Mon 11 April / Term 3 (Summer Term) begins
Mon 02 May / College closed / May Day Bank Holiday
Wed 11 and
Thurs 12 May / 2Y1 / 3Y1 Higher Education & Apprenticeships Information Evenings
(Parents/carers are invited to attend on one evening) / 18.00 – 21.00
Mon 16 May / AS examinations begin
Study leave begins for AS students
St Brendan’s Day
Thurs 26 May / College closed to students (with the exception of students taking exams that day) / Staff Development Day
Fri 27 May / 2Y1 / 3Y2 courses end
Leavers’ Celebration Assembly
Last Day of Term
Mon 30 May – Fri 03 June / HALF TERM
Mon 06 June / College Term resumes
3Y1 students return
A2 Exams begin
Thurs 23 & Fri 24 June / College closed to students / Pre-enrolment Days for 2016 intake
Mon 27 June / College closed to students / Staff Development Day
Wed 29 June / A2 Exams end
Fri 1 July / Last day of term for students
Thurs 18 August / AS/A2 results
Thurs 25 August / GCSE results
TERM DATES FOR 2016/2017:
Please see our website - - for the latest term date information, or contact College Reception.

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

Below is some of the information that we feel will be useful to you in supporting your son/daughter,or the young person you care for, whilst they are at St. Brendan’s Sixth Form College. It supplements the information that they will have been given in their Student Diary and throughout their induction. The College website has recently been upgraded and contains up to date information for parents/carers on all aspects of college life. Any questions can be raised at the New Parent/Carer Evening or at any time with the Pastoral Support Tutor.

  1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

What are Sixth Form Colleges?

There are only around 80 Sixth Form Colleges (SFCs) in the UK (attended by approximately 11% of 16-18 year olds), and St. Brendan’s is the only one in this area. Sixth Form Collegesall pride themselves on providing a specialist and ‘rich’ curriculum offer,mostly based around Level 3 qualifications (AS and A Levels and BTECs).This means that they encourage their students to study for a wide range of academic qualifications, but also to take part in sport and other enrichment activities and to develop the skills they need to become rounded, resilient and successful adults.

Sixth Form Colleges overall have a higher success rate (84%) than school sixth forms and other colleges (80%).A greater proportion of SFC students go on to Higher Education (they make up 13% of HE students but only 11% of the age group). Many SFCsparticularly pride themselves on supporting and raising the aspirations of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds,(33.3% of SFC students from poorer backgrounds go to HE compared to 17.7% from grammar schools, 8.3% from independent schools and 23.7% from state schools). (Sixth Sense, SFCForum, 2012)

What is special about St. Brendan’s?

As a large Sixth Form College, we are able to offer students a wide range of over 70 courses, mostly at Level 3 (A Level or BTEC Diploma), with most combinations of qualifications being possible. We can also offer a Level 2 programme to prepare them for A levels but also to enable them to re-take core GCSE subjects. Our results speak for themselves, as last year, 97% of our A2 students,87% of our AS students and 100% of our Level 3 BTEC Diploma students passed their courses (98% of our Subsidiary Diploma students, 99.8% of our Certificate students and 89% of our Level 2 Diploma students also passed their courses).

As a Catholic College, we believe it is important to educate the whole person and to ensure that they reach their potential.To facilitate this, we provide a unique combination of rigorous academic teaching and assessment, supported by social, spiritual and moral guidance through Religion, Philosophy and Ethics (RPE), as well as outstanding pastoral care and learning support and a wide programme range of enriching activities (sport, volunteering, charity work etc.).

We believe that our students are on the St. Brendan’s Journeywhich is helping them to move from childhood to adulthood, raising their aspirations, and enabling them to gain the skills they need to successfully progress to Higher Education, further training or work.

How is Sixth Form College different from school?

We expect our students to take more responsibility for their learning than they may have had to do at school. We maintain similar rigorous behaviour management processes and expect high academic standards,excellent attendance and punctuality. However, students can leave the campus when they do not have lessons, yet are expected to use their private study time effectively, to manage their own timetables and learning activity,to make their own decisions and to seek out the support they need to be successful.

We would hope that you feel fully informed of any major decisions concerning your son/daughter or the young person you care for, and their progress while they are at College, but there will be times when we encourage students to take responsibility for their own actions and begin to assume the identity of an emerging adult. As we are a college, legally, they are able to withdraw their consent to the provision of information to their parents/carers (e.g. reports and Parent Portal).

Why does every student have to attend Religion, Philosophy and Ethics(RPE) course?

At the initial interview, students will have been made aware that attendance at the RPE course is compulsory at the College. Attendance at this course will be treated in the same way as attendance at any other course,and students will be graded for their effort at the end of the year.

As a Catholic College, with a strap line of “Faith in Learning”, we strongly believe that students need an education that is more rounded and holistic than just studying for exams. This course allows students to explore spiritual, moral and ethical issues, to develop their critical thinking and to mature in their approach to some of the complex issues they may face in life. We believe it is an essential part of their ‘St. Brendan’s Journey’.

Attendance at tutorial sessions is also compulsory, so that all students get the pastoral support and life skills that they need to progress successfully on to Higher Education, training or work.

  1. PASTORAL SUPPORT

How are students supported at St Brendan’s?

At St. Brendan’s we pride ourselves on the level of support that we provide to students to enable them to feel included and able to achieve. In the last end of year survey,93.8% of students said they felt safe in College, 87.5% said they were extremely/very satisfied with the College overall and 91.4% were extremely/very satisfied with the quality of teaching.

All students have a Pastoral Support Tutor who is their first point of contact for support, but there are also a wide range of other services available such as Information Advice and Guidance Officers, a large Learning Development Department, the Chaplaincy, a Student Liaison Officer and we also provide access to a Psychotherapist and Drugs and Alcohol Counsellor on site as required.

What is the role of the Pastoral Support Tutor(PST)?

Pastoral support is very important to us at St. Brendan’s, however, it may be delivered in a way that is very different from your young person’s previous school. The Pastoral Support Tutor (PST)is described as a ‘sympathetic, tolerant adviser with a personal interest in each student who should be approachable, understanding, consistent and reliable’. The Pastoral Support Team have a wealth of experience in supporting young people in other settings, and many have backgrounds in teaching, youth work, or information, advice and guidance. There are also two Pastoral Support Managers (PSMs) who supervise their work and support the most vulnerable students.

The Pastoral Support Tutor will help all the students in their tutor group to settle into College and will carry out an induction programme. They should be the first person to whom students and their parents/carers go when they have any difficulties, and for guidance and support in both academic and personal matters.They will advise students or occasionally direct them to another member of staff who may be able to resolve the difficulty.

The Pastoral Support Tutors deliver a compulsory group tutorial programme during the year consisting of sessions on academic topics such as UCAS and progressing into apprenticeships or the world of work and study and revision skills. They will also cover Personal, Social and Health Education such as safeguarding, healthy living, equality and diversity, charity work etc. Through the influence of the Pastoral Support Tutor, students are also encouraged to participate fully in the life of the College and take part in enrichment activities such as religious services, music, drama, sport, charity events and the Student Union.

The Pastoral Support Tutors will also meet their tutor group for individual support in one to one interviews/reviews at least once a term to look at their progress and achievement against their targets. PSTs may need to act as a co-ordinator, ensuring that all teachers are up to date on any issues relating to a student’s welfare or performance, or may facilitate dialogue between subject teachers and students.PSTs should get to know their young people well over the year, and will also be aiming to motivate and inspire them to achieve to the best of their ability. At the end of the year, the PST is responsible for drawing up, in conjunction with Subject Teachers, an account of a student’s development which is used for reference purposes.

Monitoring of attendance and behaviour are also the tasks which the PSTundertakes. If they or any subject teachers have concerns about a student’s progress, attendance, punctuality or behaviour, it may be passed to the PST who may have to start the initial stage of the disciplinary process. In this situation, you will be informed, and we would ask for your support in reaching a swift resolution.

How can I contact my young person’s PST?

As many of the PSTs deliver tutorials during the College day, emailing is a useful method of communication- use the initials below and the college address e.g. Alternatively, you can phone the main college number 0117 9777766 to ask to speak with them.